EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
National Monument
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. ... "Geocachers must complete the tasks before they log the EarthCache as found." (4.3. EarthCache logging tasks)
Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
NOTE: Answers via message -and- log signature picture is required to post a find for this cache.
1. MESSAGE …. a. Place the pics in order from end of path to monument. / b. Describe each as to texture, natural or man-made, etc.
2. MESSAGE …. a. Looking at the grains, determine if Mt. Airy granite was formed deep within the Earth or on the surface of the Earth. / b. Based on the colors you see, what minerals are present in Mt. Airy granite?
3. MESSAGE …. According to a volunteer at the Visitor Center, all the granite on site came from the Mt. Airy NC Quarry. Do you think she was correct for the granite at Waypoint 1? Why or why not?
4. LOG …. Post a picture of you or your signature item at the monument atop the hill. This picture is your log signature.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in creating this earthcache by adding A B C to your log.
A. See The Rock Earthcache. What are two things you find most interesting in the cache page write-up?
B. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
C. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind ...
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
THANK YOU Ranger Karen Warlitner for permission to share this learning adventure.
ORIGIN OF THE GRANITE
The granite that makes up the monument is from the Mt. Airy Quarry NC.
Each quarry has its own unique granite, featuring colors and textures not found anywhere else.
COOLING RATE AND CRYSTAL SIZE
The size of crystals in an igneous rock is an indicator of the conditions where the rock formed. An igneous rock with large crystals probably indicates that the rock formed deep within the Earth where it cooled slowly giving time for crystals to grow. An igneous rock with small crystals probably indicates that the rock formed close to the surface where it cooled rapidly and did not allow time for crystals to grow very big. Some magma cools so quickly that no crystals form.
FELDSPAR
Feldspar is the most common mineral on Earth, constituting approximately 60% of the crust. It forms directly from cooling magma and is a major component of granite and most other igneous rocks. Feldspars vary in color from pink to gray.
COLORS OF GRANITE
"The relative proportion of different colored minerals in a granite is largely due to the original source of molten rock that cooled to form the granite. If the molten rock was abundant in potassium feldspar, the granite is more likely to take on a salmon pink color. On the other hand, if the molten rock is abundant in quartz and minerals that make up amphibole, you will likely get a black and white speckled granite commonly seen on countertops."
- Quartz - typically milky white color
- Plagioclase Feldspar - typically off-white color (sodium calcium)
- Orthoclase Feldspar - typically salmon pink color (potassium sodium)
- Biotite - typically black or dark brown color
- Muscovite - typically metallic gold or yellow color
- Amphibole - typically black or dark green color
RESOURCES
Mt. Airy NC Quarry / Granite https://coord.info/GC8YFAZ
